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Drake had said the weapon wasn’t in Hevalla’s hands. Because it wasn’t – not really, when he was still loyal to Rhavna.

Then Dezeeves announced Hevalla had the weapon, because it did. In fact, it had both halves of it.

Cosmer seems to sense something changing in me. He pulls me closer.

“Don’t listen to them, Ara. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Don’t let Dezeeves’ mess – his problems – suck you in. I’m going to keep you safe.”

Dezeeves says, “Rike? Did you receive that? We need them in The Bridge. For the plan⁠—”

Cosmer grabs the radio out of Rike’s hand.

“Dezeeves?” he says.

Dezeeves sputters over the static. “Cosmer? Why aren’t you in Meg’s cabin?”

Meg’s cabin?

Cosmer ignores him. “Dezeeves. I have a very simple instruction for you. Find a new plan.” He turns the dial to switch the radio off and hurls it back at Rike. “Let’s go.”

He takes my wrist. Leads me past them.

But Drake takes my other wrist.

I’m torn between them both, my arm stretching out where Drake has clasped it.

“Ara,” Drake says. “You’re doing that thing you do.”

The distance between us grows. I let my hand slip out of his fingers completely.

Keep walking. Keep walking.

“You’re letting your heart rule your head,” he continues, from somewhere behind me. “Think things through. And try to remember the first fortune. It started all of this.”

I don’t look back at Drake. Even though I seem to want to. I can’t fathom that. Don’t have time to fathom that.

Because Cosmer is marching me along, and our surroundings are blurring past so fast I can’t register them. Cosmer only stops, only lets go of me, when we reach a familiar hatch. He gets it open.

We’re inside. We’re safe.

I’m doing the right thing.

He’s unlocked the ship and entered it faster than I’ve ever seen him move.

He leans out of the doorway. It reminds me of the last time I saw him, back on the ground, when he was in the air on the crew rustler’s ship, my ribbon in his hand.

He had felt so far from me then.

He feels so far from me now.

He smiles. Kindly.

Far too kindly.

Why does he have to be so kind?

“Don’t be scared. I’ll get us through this. I’ll take us straight to Vikemy Village. Back to our families.”

I edge towards the ship until I’m opposite him in the doorway, looking up at him. He reaches out for me. Scoops my hands up in his.